TELEVISION
For Blacks, 50 Years On The TV Fringes (WP)
INTERNET
Virginia's 'Internet Governor' Woos Silicon Valley (NYT)
Why an Internet-Tax Moratorium Is Needed (SJ Merc)
Web-Page Distribution System Could Unclog Internet
Traffic Jams (NYT)
European Union Advances E-Commerce Policies (CyberTimes)
MERGERS
AT&T Has Set Itself Some Tough Challenges (NYT)
Comcast-AT&T MediaOne Duel Looms (WSJ)
AT&T British Ally In Venture In Japan (WSJ)
No Quick Political Pact Likely on Telecom Deal (WSJ)
SECURITY
Computer Virus Poised to Strike Today (WP)
Identity Theft: Is There Another You? (House)
JOBS
High-Tech Degrees out of Favor (SJ Merc)
ON CAPITOL HILL
Reauthorization of the National Telecommunications and
Information Administration (House)
Broadcast Ownership for the 21st Century Act (House)
TELEVISION
FOR BLACKS, 50 YEARS ON THE TV FRINGES
Issue: Content
A look at the current television season's representation of African Americans
finds traces of past stereotypical storylines. At present, there is not network
dramatic show with "a black story line at its center," Trescott reports.
African American households watched 40% more TV than nonblacks in the last
quarter of 1998 according to research firm TNMedia. Instead of dramas, black
representation is still limited to comedies. Trescott explores "PJ," an animated
Fox comedy, as well as shows like "Moesha," and "Malcolm and Eddie" are comedies
in the context of TV's history of representing black life. "PJ" takes place in
a housing project and draws from stereotypes, cheap laughs and the tension of
crime and poverty. "Cosby" alumnus Malcolm-Jamal Warner is a bar owner and
confronts problems of all small business owners. "Moesha," about a young black
teenage girl, suggests that hysteria has to precede problem solving. The article
reviews the ebb and the flow of the history of black representation on
television -- fluctuating between pristine, ideal families like the "Cosby's"
(and the 1965 response to negative portrayals of black characters, "Julia")
and stereotypical black comedic figures like J.J. on "Good Times." Trescott
concludes by saying that networks are still reluctant to depict the
complexities of black life. Eriq LaSalle, who plays Dr. Benton [no relation]
on "ER" said it
took five years for the show to focus and entire episode on his character --
something it had done for other white characters. The show rated number one
the week it aired.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (G1 on 4/25), AUTHOR: Jacqueline Trescott]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-04/25/149l-042599-idx.html)
INTERNET
VIRGINIA'S 'INTERNET GOVERNOR' WOOS SILICON VALLEY
Issue: Politics
"Everybody comes here trying to get a little Silicon Valley dust on their
shoes," said Netscape's chief executive, James L. Barksdale. Virginia Gov
James Gilmore (R) was recently on a three-day tour of Silicon Valley. VA is
the home of America Online, MCI WorldCom, Uunet, and PSINet. Gov Gilmore has
been trying to sell VA as ground zero on the revolution claiming that half
of all Internet traffic goes through the state. The Governor has also made
the Internet a central theme in his first 18 months in office: he helped
create and later signed what many are calling the first comprehensive set of
state Internet laws and created the first state technology cabinet post.
"There is a recognition this is a launching pad," said AOL's chief Steve
Case. "The policies set in Virginia could become a blueprint." Gov Gilmore
will also serve on a Federal commission examining Internet tax issues.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C4), AUTHOR: Matt Richtel]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/04/biztech/articles/26gov.html)
WHY AN INTERNET-TAX MORATORIUM IS NEEDED
Issue: Internet Regulation
Virginia Gov. James Gilmore III is expected to become chairman of a new
commission charged with advising Congress on the taxation of electronic
commerce. Here is one question from a face-to-face interview he did in
Silicon Valley with a San Jose Mercury News report. [The long version
is available on the Web site.]
Q - Some analysts believe that business-to-business transactions will be a
huge market, much bigger than online consumer transactions.
A - Yes. In fact, there are some who assert that most of the commerce on the
Internet today is business-to-business. It is future growth that rests with
the individual purchaser. That's where the growth is going to be, and the
balance will be much different as we go along. But we don't really have all
the facts yet. People today are operating mostly on instinct and fear.
There's a fear of loss of revenue, there's an instinct that somehow this is
a zero-sum game. I think we should demand the facts.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Monua Janah]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/indepth/docs/qa042699.htm)
WEB-PAGE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM COULD UNCLOG INTERNET TRAFFIC JAMS
Issue: Internet
Helping to prevent the transition of the World Wide Web into the World Wide
Wait are two companies -- Sandpiper Networks and Akamai Technologies -- that
distribute the contents of popular websites to server computers dispersed
throughout the Internet. "The whole name of the game here is to push content
to the edge of the Internet, very, very close to the end user," said David
Goodtree, vice president for marketing at Akamai, which is based in
Cambridge (MA). Although this service seems most necessary to high-volume
events now, analysts believe that as Internet traffic continues to grow,
this service will become a full-time necessity.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C1), AUTHOR: Andrew Pollack]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/04/biztech/articles/26sand.html)
EUROPEAN UNION ADVANCES E-COMMERCE POLICIES
Issue: E-Commerce
Last week, the European Union gave tentative approval to two e-commerce
measures: electronic signatures and online consumer protection. The EU moved
closer to adopting a standard that would enable companies to send electronic
signatures via the Internet, and rely on them as if they were signed on a
paper contract. The laws of a consumers' country will take precedence when
transactions cross boarders. Both measures will have to win final approval
from the European Parliament. According to the Yankee Group, a Boston-based
consulting firm, European consumers bought about $650 million worth of goods
on the Internet in 1998, a figure that pales in comparison to what U.S.
consumers spent on the Web during the last holiday season alone ($5 billion,
according to the InterPublic Group of Companies, a research firm). By the
end of next year, the Yankee Group estimates European consumer Internet
sales will reach $4.6 billion -- a significant jump, but still far short of
U.S. sales totals for 1998, which the Boston Consulting Group estimated at
$13 billion.
[SOURCE: CyberTimes, AUTHOR: Bob Tedeschi (tedeschi( at )nytimes.com)]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/04/cyber/articles/26commerce.html)
MERGERS
AT&T HAS SET ITSELF SOME TOUGH CHALLENGES
Issue: Mergers
AT&T made an unsolicited offer for the Mediaone Group cable company late
last week (while the rest of us were celebrating NATO). Comcast had thought
its $53 billion was enough -- AT&T's offer is $58 billion and contains a
higher percentage in cash so it will look much better to investors. Over the
weekend, AT&T also announced a new investment with international partner
British Telecommunications -- the two will purchase a 30% stake in Japan
Telecom for 1.8 billion. In this news analysis, Schiesel compare watching
AT&T these days to "Jaws" sequels...once you think it's safe... "But like a
voracious shark that ends up with a bunch of old license plates in its
belly, AT&T may have a tough time digesting everything it has tried to
swallow. The main question for AT&T now is whether its appetite has exceeded
its ability to integrate its businesses into the lean yet powerful
communications machine that [the company's chairman C. Michael] Armstrong
wants AT&T to become," Schiesel writes. If this deal goes through, AT&T will
be the #1 long distance provider and the #1 cable operator in the US.
Fearing that Baby Bells -- especially Bell Atlantic -- will start receiving
regulatory approval to offer long distance service, AT&T is rushing to make
deals that will ensure access to residential customers. The plan is to take
the war to a new front -- off the conventional phone network and onto cable
TV systems. AT&T derives a much higher percentage of long distance revenues
from residential consumers than do rivals WorldCom and Sprint.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C1), AUTHOR: Seth Schiesel]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/04/biztech/articles/26att.html)
COMCAST-AT&T MEDIAONE DUEL LOOMS
Issue: Cable/Merger
As Comcast thinks up ways to provide MediaOne with a counteroffer -- a response
to AT&T's surprise bid made last Thursday to takeover the cable company -- AT&T
and MediaOne took the first step in formal merger talks. Comcast has received
calls from companies offering to serve as a "white knight" to help prevent the
AT&T takeover -- including Microsoft and America Online, Comcast employees
said. Personal calls from Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and AOL chairman Steve
Case were made to express concern for allowing AT&T to have so much control
over the cable-TV industry. Microsoft owns a 5% stake in Comcast. AOL has been
pushing the cable industry to open up its networks to Internet service
providers. AOL also wants access to cable customers to build AOL Internet
services. If AT&T is successful at the MediaOne takeover, it will have access
to over 65% of the nation's cable-TV customers. AT&T has said that anyone not
helping its cause is considered a rival. AT&T has been negotiating with
cable-TV firms across the country in order to use their cable lines to offer
local phone service. With the announcement of a takeover bid for MediaOne, AT&T
said that approach wasn't working.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (A3), AUTHOR: Leslie Cauley]
(http://wsj.com/)
AT&T BRITISH ALLY IN VENTURE IN JAPAN
Issue: International/Merger
British Telecom and AT&T announced that they will jointly invest Y220 billion in
Japan Telecom. The global alliance between British Telecom and AT&T made last
year is still awaiting approval by US regulators. The joint venture in Japan
Telecom represents the biggest investment by foreign companies in the Japanese
market. Japan Telecom will serve as the distributor for global services offered
by AT&T/British Telecom. "Customers will have the same services available to
them whether they are in Tokyo, London, or New York City," said John D. Zeglis,
AT&T president. Japan Telecom had welcomed the foreign investment to ward off
Japanese competitor, Nippon Telegraph. However, it was not happy with the
AT&T/BT having a 30% stake in the company, which is just short of the 1/3
stake that would give them veto power under Japanese law. Japan Telecom also
wanted East Japan Railway to remain a number one shareholder. AT&T/BT modified
the deal, giving the two foreign companies equal 15% voting rights, while East
Japan Railway has 15.1%.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (A12), AUTHOR: Peter Landers]
(http://wsj.com/)
NO QUICK POLITICAL PACT LIKELY ON TELECOM DEAL
Issue: International/Merger
The Italian government is threatening to use its "golden share" veto power to
prevent the Deutsche Telekom/Telecom Italia merger unless the German government
provides assurances that it won't interfere with the new company's affairs and
provides a schedule for privatization. Germany says it has done all it can to
assure that it will sell its 72% stake in the company as quickly as the market
could bear it. The Italian government fears the Deutsche Telekom merger with
Telecom Italia will in effect hand over Telecom Italia to the German
government. Under pressure from the European Union and Olivetti, the Italian
government needs to define more clearly when they would use their "golden
share" veto power. Deutche Telekom may have to "sweeten its bid" because its
offer is only slightly higher than Olivetti's current share price. Separately,
Telecom Italia will announce today that it will sell its share in pay-TV unity
Stream to a group of investors, including Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. News Corp
will take 30% stake in Stream.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (A12), AUTHOR: William Boston and Deborah Ball]
(http://wsj.com/)
SECURITY
COMPUTER VIRUS POISED TO STRIKE TODAY
Issue: Computer Technology
On the 13th anniversary of the nuclear disaster in Ukraine, the Chernobyl
virus is poised to strike today, threatening computer equipment that uses
Windows 95 or 98. The virus can erase a computer's hard drive and prevent
the equipment from restarting. Experts say off-the-shelf antivirus software
can prevent infection, and several companies are offering free inoculation
tools on their Web sites. The virus, which was discovered last summer,
doesn't spread as quickly as the Melissa virus because it requires a person
to launch an infected program file to contaminate a computer.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (Online), AUTHOR: Ted Bridis (Associated Press)]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/business/daily/april99/chernobyl042699
.htm)
See also:
COMPUTER EXPERTS WARN OF NEW VIRUS
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Dick Satran (Reuters)]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/internet/docs/375696l.htm)
IDENTITY THEFT: IS THERE ANOTHER YOU?
Issue: Privacy/Security
Links to witness list and statements made at last week's Telecom
Subcommittee hearing on identity theft.
[SOURCE: House of Representatives]
(http://com-notes.house.gov/cchear/hearings106.nsf/Witnesses?OpenView&StartK
ey=36A3E2F70D7133C2852567540078E2F9)
JOBS
HIGH-TECH DEGREES OUT OF FAVOR
Issue: Education Technology
A report to be released today by the American Electronics Association, shows
that students seem to be losing interest in studying computer science,
engineering and other tech-related fields, as fewer students have been
graduating with high-tech degrees. The report, called "CyberEducation: U.S.
Education and the High-Technology Work Force," warns that the nation's
future growth could be hampered by a shortage of trained professionals. The
report suggests that part of the problem may be that US schooling from
kindergarten through high school is not adequately preparing students for
these fields in college. Another problem is that many people think engineers
are nerds.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Jonathan Rabinovitz]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/indepth/docs/educ042699.htm)
ON CAPITOL HILL
REAUTHORIZATION OF THE NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION
ADMINISTRATION
Issue: Budget Issues
Thursday, April 29, 1999 10:00 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn House Office Building
Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade, and Consumer Protection hearing
on Reauthorization of the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration (NTIA).
[SOURCE: House of Representatives]
(http://www.house.gov/commerce/schedule.htm)
BROADCAST OWNERSHIP FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ACT
Issue: Broadcast Ownership
Tuesday, May 4, 1999 10:00 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn House Office Building
Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade, and Consumer Protection hearing
on H.R. 942, the Broadcast Ownership for the 21st Century Act, a bill to
reduce restrictions on media ownership.
[SOURCE: House of Representatives]
(http://www.house.gov/commerce/schedule.htm)
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Sorry...no Chicago Trib coverage today.